Last June, the Supreme Court had its first opportunity in seven decades to address one of America's most impassioned constitutional debates: Does the right to possess firearms, as stated in the Second Amendment, apply to individuals?

Yes, the Court ruled, it does.

And, with that decision, the District of Columbia's handgun ban--one of the most controversial in the nation--was ended.

In Gun Control on Trial, journalist Brian Doherty tells the full story behind the landmark District of Columbia v. Heller ruling. With exclusive, behind-the-scenes access throughout the case, Doherty's new book takes readers on a remarkable journey--through the legal, scientific, and historical debates; the political battles; and the myths about gun control that have become widespread.

How is the District's new registration process working?

How will the Heller precedent impact the firearm regulations in other American cities?- Cato Institute

Brian Doherty

Brian Doherty is a senior editor of Reason, the libertarian monthly named one of "The 50 Best Magazines" three out of the past four years by the Chicago Tribune. Established in 1968 and a four-time finalist for National Magazine Awards, Reason has a print circulation of 40,000 and won the 2005 Western Publications Association "MAGGIE" Award for best political magazine.
Reason Online, the magazine's Web edition, draws 1.75 million visits per month, and the staff weblog Hit and Run has been named by Playboy, Washingtonian, and others as one of the best political blogs.

Timothy Lynch

Director, Project on Criminal Justice
Under the direction of Tim Lynch, Cato's Project on Criminal Justice has become a leading voice in support of the Bill of Rights and civil liberties. His research interests include the war on terrorism, overcriminalization, the drug war, the militarization of police tactics, and gun control. In 2000, he served on the National Committee to Prevent Wrongful Executions. Lynch has also filed several amicus briefs in the U.S. Supreme Court in cases involving constitutional rights. He is the editor of After Prohibition: An Adult Approach to Drug Policies in the 21st Century. Since joining Cato in 1991, Lynch has published articles in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, ABA Journal, and the National Law Journal. He has appeared on The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, NBC Nightly News, ABC World News Tonight, Fox's The O'Reilly Factor, and C-SPAN's Washington Journal. Lynch is a member of the Wisconsin, District of Columbia, and Supreme Court bars. He earned both a B.S. and a J.D. from Marquette University.

Christopher Rhee

Christopher Rhee is a member of Arnold & Porter LLP's Securities Enforcement & Litigation practice group. He has represented auditors, corporations, and their officers & directors in SEC and governmental investigations and class action securities litigation. He has argued several appeals and motions, in federal and state court.
Prior to joining Arnold & Porter LLP, Mr. Rhee served as a Counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee, as an Assistant United States Attorney, and as the Special Assistant to Deputy Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr. Mr. Rhee clerked for the Honorable Merrick B. Garland on the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit, and the Honorable Louis F. Oberdorfer on the US District Court for the District of Columbia.

Although Brian Doherty criticizes President-elect Obama's "disrespect for personal gun possession rights," he believes the new administration will do little in the near future to enforce stricter gun control laws.